Improvement in fifth-wheels for wagons



J. 1, BLACK. FIFTH-WHEEL FOR WAGONS.

No. 193,594. Patented Jul 31,1877.

N ETERS PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

'- ATES ATEN'I QFFIcE.

JOHN J. BLACK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No 193,594, dated July 31,1877 application filed May 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN J. BLACK, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements inFifth-Wheels for Wagons, which improvements are fully set forth in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa perspective view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section. Figs. 3 and ataredetached views of the two plates composing the fifthwheel.

The object of my invention is to furnish a device for fifth-wheels forbuggies and wagons which shall be noiseless, self-lubricating, andsimple and durable in construction and operation.

Fifth-wheels, before my invention, have, among other modes, beenconstructed of two disks or plates, one fitting within the other, andsecured together by overlooking ears and studs, bosses, or bolts.Leather packing has also been used in fifth-wheels constructed insegments. Now, my invention consists in a fifth-wheel composed of a flatcircular plate attached to the head-block or bolster of a vehicle,having a central orifice or opening, an annular downwardly-projectingflange, and hook-shaped ears; also, of a flat circular plate attached tothe axle-tree, and having notches in its edge, adapted to permit thepassage therethrough of the ears on the other plate, which notched platefits within the flanged plate, a piece of leather containing a lubricantbeing interposed between the two plates, and of like shape with thefirst-named plate, so as to cover the inner surface and periphery of thelast-named plate, thereby preventing its contact with and injury of thefirst named, and serving to lubricate the two; also, of a centralorifice or opening in said last-named plate, and a king-bolt passedthrough the axle-tree, plates, and bolster, and serving to unite theseveral parts, substantially as hereinafter specified, the combinationof these several elements constituting my invention, as before setforth.

In the drawing, A is an axle-tree, and B is a short bolster. To theaxle-tree A is secured a metal plate or disk, C, by screws or clips. Tothe under side of the bolster B is secured a like metal plate or disk,D, having a downward-projecting flange, a, which fits over and embracesthe lower disk C. To the front and rear side of the disk D are made twoears, d d, which reach under and help to hold the plate C in place.Corresponding notches c c are made in the edge of the disk C, but theyare located very near theaxle-tree. The kin gbolt E passes down throughthe whole, and the nut for holding .it at the lower end is made on theend of the brace I.

Between the two disks C D is placed a disk of leather, L, whoseperiphery b is bent down, and embraces the lower disk C, as can be seenin Fig.2. The lower face of the leather is coated with black lead orplumbago, which supplies all the needed lubrication.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the wheels are on the axlesthe axletree cannot be cramped around far enough for the ears (1 dtocome near enough to the notches c c to uncouple the plates, even ifthe kingbolt should be broken, and that the nut cannot get loose,because it is permanently a part of the brace, and should the boltbecome loose, it is easily tightened with a wrench from the top.

Having described my invention, I claim- The combination of the plate D,having the flange a and ears d, the plate 0, having the notches c, theleather lubricant L, having its periphery b bent down like the flange a,and embracing the periphery of the plate C, and the axle-tree A, bolsterB, and the uniting king-bolt E, all substantially as described.

JNO. J. BLACK.

Witnesses GEO. W. TIBBITTS, F. W. GADWELL.

